Emptying, servicing and surveys for septic tanks, cesspits and treatment plants in New Alresford and the villages of the upper Itchen valley.
New Alresford is a small market town at the top of the Itchen valley, surrounded by farmland and villages. Away from the town centre, many homes, from Old Alresford and Bishop’s Sutton to Cheriton, Tichborne and Ovington, have their own drainage: a septic tank, a cesspit or a treatment plant.
This is chalk stream country. The Arle and the other streams that rise here feed the Itchen, and the area was famous for watercress because of the clear spring water. That clean water is exactly why private drainage matters so much here: a failing tank or plant close to a stream or spring does more harm than it would in many other places.
We look after systems in and around Alresford all year round, with tankers and engineers in Hampshire almost every day. Regular emptying and servicing is booked to suit you, and our phones are answered 24 hours a day.
We empty septic tanks and cesspits at homes, farms and estates around Alresford, and check the inlet, outlet and baffles while we’re there. Many tanks here are old, so we’ll tell you honestly if yours is showing its age and what your options are.
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If you’ve swapped a septic tank for a treatment plant, or bought a home that has one, it needs servicing at least once a year to keep it treating the water properly. Our engineers check and clean the plant, test the blower and pumps, and give you a written report.
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A septic tank that discharges into a stream or ditch has to be upgraded under the General Binding Rules. A survey tells you what you have, where it goes and whether it complies. If it needs replacing, we can install a treatment plant or a new drainage field.
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When a plant’s alarm goes off or a pumped system stops working, we find the fault and repair or replace the blower, pump, float switch or control panel. Our engineers carry the most common parts.
Learn moreLocal knowledge
Chalk streams and springs mean private drainage gets close attention here.
The streams that rise around Alresford feed the River Itchen. Any septic tank that discharges directly into a watercourse has to be upgraded.
Some cottages and farmhouses still have brick or concrete tanks that are decades old. If yours has never been surveyed, it’s worth knowing its condition.
New homes in the Itchen catchment are expected to be nutrient neutral. If you’re converting a barn or building a house, check this with Winchester City Council early.
Local to you
From the town out to the villages of the upper Itchen and the downs, here’s where we work around New Alresford.
New Alresford · town and nearby
Surrounding villages · where private drainage is common
If you’re around Alresford, call with your postcode and we’ll confirm.
Why New Alresford customers use us
Whether it’s an old tank at a cottage in Tichborne or a treatment plant at a farm near Cheriton, here’s what you get.
We’ve been emptying tanks and servicing systems since long before most of the kit on the market existed.
Our engineers and most of our tanker drivers hold current confined space entry certificates, and the engineers carry the most common parts.
A waste transfer note with every collection, and a written report after surveys and services.
Regular customers get a reminder when their next empty or service is due.
Tanks, treatment plants, pump stations, grease traps and drains, all handled by one team.
Tankers from 2,000 to 4,000 gallons, jet/vac combination units, CCTV survey kit and confined space teams for pump station wet wells.
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Scores as of September 2026
★★★★★I've used Clearmasters for at least 10 years and always find them reliable, helpful, knowledgable and great at what is a really unpleasant job! I won't use anyone else.
Nina C. Google review
★★★★★I have used Clearmasters now for 4 years and the service has been excellent. Very punctual on the day and their planning team have always been very helpful in finding convenient dates to service and maintain our pumps and tanks. I recommend.
★★★★★Very professional operation. Super clean tanker. Responded quickly to quote and booking requests. Arrived on time. Kept us notified throughout. Very pleasant and helpful guy operating the equipment. Gave sound advice with ongoing maintenance tips. Will definitely be saving Clearmasters' contact details to use them again.
How it works
Simple and the same every time.
Step 1
Call us or book online and tell us what kind of system you have and when it was last emptied or serviced, if you know.
Step 2
We book a date that works for you and send a tanker or service engineer. It helps if:
Step 3
You get a waste transfer note for anything we take away, and a written report after a survey or service. If it’s a regular job, we’ll remind you when the next one is due.
Free, no-obligation quote
Tell us what you need and we’ll give you a price for emptying, servicing, a survey or an upgrade. If something’s overflowing, call us now.
Questions answered
The questions we’re asked most by homeowners and farms around Alresford.
If it discharges directly into a stream, ditch or river, yes: the General Binding Rules require it. If it goes to a soakaway or drainage field that works, it can usually stay. You can read the rules on GOV.UK or ask us for a survey.
A septic tank lets solids settle and sends the liquid on to a soakaway or drainage field. A treatment plant uses air and bacteria to clean the water much more thoroughly, so it can discharge to places a septic tank can’t, but it has moving parts that need servicing.
Not necessarily, but it’s worth having it checked. Old tanks can crack or lose their baffles, letting solids out into the drainage field. We can look at it when we empty it and tell you honestly what we find.
If there’s no mains sewer nearby, usually a treatment plant with a drainage field or a permitted discharge. New homes in the Itchen catchment also have to be nutrient neutral, so speak to the council early. We can install the plant and service it afterwards.
Most need the sludge emptying about once a year, but it depends on the plant’s size and how many people live there. We’ll check the sludge level at each service and tell you when it’s due.
Yes. We have tankers and engineers working in Hampshire most days, so call 03333 233566 at any time and we’ll tell you how soon we can get to you.
Got a different question? Call 03333 233566 or send us a message.
We're independently vetted and certified so you can trust who you're letting onto your site.
Health & safety pre-qualification accreditation, verifying our processes meet recognised safety standards.
Railway Industry Supplier Qualification Scheme — approved to work safely within the rail industry supply chain.
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Members of the National Association of Drainage Contractors, the UK trade body for the drainage industry.
Registered with the Environment Agency, so your waste is handled and disposed of fully within the law.
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